Energy
Are the lights about to go out across Europe?
Today’s snap decision by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to halt Nord Stream 2 — the new pipeline intended to export…
It's too late to break Europe's gas reliance on Russia
So, Nord Stream 2 will not be plugged into Germany’s gas grid. A little surprisingly, Chancellor Olaf Scholz has been…
Macron’s energy intervention has seriously backfired
He intervened decisively. He showed the ability of the state to make a difference. And he demonstrated that greedy, self-interested…
What really happens if Russia invades Ukraine?
Russia will pay an enormous price if it invades Ukraine, whether it goes for the whole country or only the…
Why windfall taxes are a rotten idea
Annual profits of £9.5 billion at BP this week followed a £20 billion jackpot at Shell last week, thanks to…
Has Macron shot France's energy industry in the foot?
Gas prices are soaring. Europe could be about to witness electricity shortages. Power companies are collapsing by the day, and,…
My new nickname for Putin
According to the new Chief of the Defence Staff, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, the Russians wish to ‘put at risk…
Hunterston’s closure is the nuclear accident no one noticed
So farewell, Hunterston B, the nuclear power plant on the Firth of Clyde that shut last week after 46 years’…
How to cure what ails the NHS
Wrong cure Sir: In referring to the UK as the highest-spending European nation in healthcare proportionate to GDP (‘Hospital pass’,…
Letters: Why net zero is impossible
Carbon deceit Sir: At this week’s climate change conference, countries will be urged to follow the UK’s ‘lead’ in setting…
The flaw in Britain’s net-zero plan
The COP26 summit is unlikely to be an outright flop. There has been no shortage of drama, with speakers seeming…
Letters: The contentious issues of religious conversion
Hard to reconcile Sir: Although not an Anglican, I appreciate Michael Nazir-Ali’s dilemma (‘A change of mind and heart’, 23…
Why are we so afraid of nuclear power?
It’s time we conquered our fears over the safest power of all
The government’s net zero strategy doesn’t add up
The commitment to reach ‘net zero’ emissions by 2050 is the most expensive government proposal in modern history. Yet it…
Letters: How to feed the world
Doom and gloom Sir: The depressing article by Tom Woodman (‘You must be kidding’, 16 October) confirms my growing fears…
Why Covid means the big state is back
History suggests that when the state expands in a crisis, it doesn’t go back to its pre-crisis level once the…
China is using the climate as a bargaining chip
For China, the climate is a useful bargaining chip
There’s one upside to having Parkinson’s disease
I am just back from my final salmon fishing trip of the year. I have never had a worse season…
Is government preparing to shake the magic money tree again?
Will my bath water still be hot by Christmas? That’s not a question I’d normally feel a need to share…
How the Tories have fuelled Britain’s energy crisis
Britain is caught in an energy crisis of the government’s own making. It is true that gas prices have spiked…
Portrait of the week: Gas prices soar, cabinet reshuffled and a green light for travel
Home To prevent a shortage of meat, which relies on carbon dioxide in its packaging, the government gave millions of…
The legacy of Stephen Toope
Stephen Toope, Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University, has begun this academic year by announcing it will be his last in the…
Could the squeeze on living standards bring down Boris?
There is about to be a two-phase onslaught on the living standards of those on low-to-middling incomes. On 1 October…